Read about Guitar Scales for beginners (an introduction), see if the Tru-Strobe Desktop tuner is a good choice for you, or over the top. You should also consider the feature packed Chordmaster CTM! Also, the announcement of Select Sounds LLC!

A review of Transcribe! software applications. A tool for learning a piece of music by giving you complete control over playback speed and pitch. Also provides looping, chord and note guessing, karaoke, and more.

In addition to using a microphone for vocal performances, many guitarists also use one to get the output of their amplifier into a PA system. Since the worst component in any audio system is what limits the sound quality, you don't want a cheap mic.

You might want a particular guitar, so you can sound exactly like your favorite artist. Unfortunately, it's just not that simple. To put it another way: you can buy a guitar, but you can't by a specific type of sound.

In the past I've struggled to keep enough moisture in my home and in my guitar case. Using a sponge-based humidifier is low-cost, but wetting the sponge daily, and controlling the level of humidity in the case, is, frankly, a real pain. Learn about a new solution...

Our friends at Seventh String Software have posted two online tools that every beginning guitarist can use: a full-featured metronome, and the first online chromatic tuner that I know of. In addition, each of these tools are available for offline use, via download, at no charge.

Like everyone else, I scour the Internet for seek new tips, insights, and tools related to learning guitar. This month, I'll share a few more that I rely upon, or have found useful in understanding more about this great hobby.